Arsenal 0-0 Hull City
Man of the match: Eldin Jakupovic (Hull City)
Whether it is scrapping replays, moving ties to midweek or offering a place in the Uefa Champions League to the winners, there has been much talk in recent days about how England's football authorities can restore the old sense of magic to the FA Cup.
The tournament, which came into being in 1871, is no longer held in the same esteem it once was, with success in the Premier League and Europe now seen as more attractive to the country's biggest clubs.
Even many of the top tier’s middle-ranking sides choose to focus on finishing as high as they can in the league at the expense of the Cup, with weakened teams now a common sight right up until the latter stages.
Arsenal and Hull City's starting line-ups at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday were proof that managers Arsene Wenger and Steve Bruce's priorities lie elsewhere.
Arsenal host Barcelona in the first leg of their round of 16 Champions League tie on Tuesday before facing Manchester United in the Premier League next Sunday, while Hull will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the Championship when they take on Ipswich Town this midweek.
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The FA Cup’s diminished status means the competition is now often used as an opportunity for youngsters, fringe players or those returning from injury lay-offs to get some first-team football under their belts.
Arsenal’s strength in depth is such that they could make nine changes from last weekend’s 2-1 victory over Leicester City and still field a team packed full of internationals.
Danny Welbeck began a game for the first time in 10 months, while Joel Campbell, Calum Chambers, Mohammed Elneny and Kieran Gibbs were all given the run-outs they are unlikely to receive in the Premier League or Champions League.
Alex Iwobi is another who has benefited from Wenger’s policy of rotation in the FA Cup.
This was his third start in as many rounds, with impressive displays in the wins over Sunderland and Burnley followed by another lively showing against Hull on Saturday.
Deployed ahead of Elneny and Mathieu Flamini in the No 10 position usually occupied by Mesut Ozil, the 19-year-old looked the man most likely to make something happen for the hosts as Hull dug in to secure a highly creditable 0-0 draw.
Arsenal dominated for much of the encounter but could not turn their long spells of possession into goals. Although Eldin Jakupovic made some fine saves, most notably from a Campbell free kick, Wenger’s side were a little untidy when the ball reached the final third and imprecise with their efforts on goal.
Iwobi was the brightest spark for long periods, particularly in the first half.
The teenager found pockets of space between the lines and linked the play excellently, as well as getting himself into good shooting positions around the edge of the 18-yard box.
His occasional sloppy distribution was largely a result of his fearlessness on the ball, with Iwobi always trying to look forward with either a dribble or a pass.
He is another Arsenal academy product who looks to have a big future ahead of him, and Wenger will have been delighted by another promising performance from a player who only made his first senior appearance in October.
“Our final ball was maybe not good enough,” the Frenchman said in his post-match press conference. “Their keeper did well, of course, but we had 70 per cent possession and over 20 shots on goal. We have to look at ourselves.”
Wenger claimed a replay at the KC Stadium – pencilled in for March 8 – was not a nightmare situation for his side, although he would probably not say the same thing in private.
While clearly not ideal, that extra fixture does at least give his side’s second string another chance to show what they can do.
Iwobi, Arsenal’s best performer on Saturday, will be relishing the opportunity already.
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